Tesla’s Robotaxi service is quickly gaining traction. After its debut in Austin last month, CEO Elon Musk has now confirmed that the company’s fully autonomous ride-hailing service is expanding to a larger service area in the city this weekend.
The Robotaxi service has been operating autonomous rides within a geo-fenced area in Austin since its launch. Tesla first rolled out Robotaxi access to a select group of influencers and prominent voices within the Tesla community, later expanding invites to a broader testing audience. In addition, the company launched a dedicated website for users to sign up for early access to Robotaxi rides once the service becomes available in their area.
Musk also addressed questions about future expansion earlier today. When asked about a San Francisco Bay Area launch, Musk said Tesla is “waiting on regulatory approvals, but probably in a month or two.”
Meanwhile, longtime Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) reported that the EV pioneer is already laying the groundwork for an even broader rollout. Merritt learned from the Arizona Department of Transportation that Tesla reached out to it on June 26 to begin the certification process for both autonomous vehicle testing and operating permits, including driverless operations. The company is reportedly eyeing the Phoenix Metro area for its Robotaxi service.
“Tesla has applied for both autonomous vehicle testing/operating with a driver and testing/operating without a driver,” the Arizona DOT told Merritt in an email. “A decision on those is expected at the end of the month. They have expressed interest in operating within the Phoenix Metro area.”
As more cities warm up to autonomous vehicles, Tesla’s Robotaxi ambitions are quickly becoming reality. With Austin already in operation, and new cities potentially coming online within months, self-driving cars may soon be more than just a tech demo.
If you’re interested in trying Tesla’s Robotaxi service, you can sign up via the official website to be notified when it arrives in your area. Invites are no longer limited to just influencers, after all.
